Water Management in India:

Options for Change

Dr Martin Burton
 Outline of presentation

• Background to the presentation

• Overview of water resources in India
• Options for change. Three levels:
i. Water resources
ii. Main system
iii. On-farm
• Conclusions and recommendations
 Background to the presentation
• World Bank study in 1998:
– Identified areas of concern and proposed action
– Established Water Sector Restructuring Projects in
Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu,
Andhra Pradesh
• World Bank SDWUAs study 2009/2010:
– Identified problems with:
• participatory programmes
• main system management
• water resources management

• National Water Resources Framework Study 2011

– Funded by International Finance Corporation, on behalf of the
National Planning Commission
– Assisting in preparation proposals for the 12th 5-Year Plan
• WB missions to Madhya Pradesh, Odisha (2010, 2011)
 The situation in India
• Agriculture - 28% of GDP, 67% of employment
• Irrigation - higher incomes, more secure livelihoods, reduces
poverty
• Irrigated area totals 90 million ha - surface water 39%,
groundwater 47%, other sources 14%
• Growing demands for domestic and industrial water supply
• Increasing water scarcity - 9 out of 20 river basins deemed to
be water scarce (< 1000 m3 per capita per year)
• Groundwater table declining in many states
• Gross irrigated area not rising despite continued investment
• Actual irrigated area not matching developed area
• Poor performance of I&D schemes
• Condition of I&D systems deteriorating, area reducing
• Conflicts over water increasing
• WUAs established but not performing
 Growth in water withdrawals worldwide,
1900-2000
4000
Withdrawal (cubic kilometres per year)

3500

3000

2500

2000

1500

1000

500

0
1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000
Year
Agricultural use Industrial use Municipal use

Source: IWMI, 2006, after Shiklomanov, 2000

 Water and food scarcity in India

Source: Amarasinghe et al, 2004

 Key data for selected states (2001 data)

State Total Gross Total Created Utilized Ult.IP/ Total Remain-

land cultivated ultimate irrig. irrig. Pot. GC Utililzed/ ing to
area area irrig. potential potential Total develop
potential created
(Col.4/ (Col. 6/ (Col.5 –
(mha) (mha) (mha) (mha) (mha) Col.3) Col.5) Col.4)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

AP 27.51 12.76 11.26 6.69 6.09 88% 91% 41%

Bihar 9.42 7.9 10.89 7.64 5.61 138% 73% 30%
Gujarat 19.6 10.73 6.1 4.25 3.73 57% 88% 30%
H’yana 4.42 6.32 4.51 3.83 3.48 71% 91% 15%
M’shtra 30.77 22.38 8.95 6.55 4.96 40% 76% 27%
Punjab 5.04 7.99 5.97 6.00 5.88 75% 98% 0%
Raj’than 34.22 20.8 5.13 5.33 4.9 25% 92% 0%
TN 13.01 6.23 5.53 3.7 3.69 89% 100% 33%
UP 24.09 25.82 29.64 32.39 25.68 >100% 79% 0%
W. B’gal 8.88 9.78 6.92 5.78 4.86 71% 84% 27%

Source: Planning Commission and Central Water Commission, GoI

 Population growth, GDP and foodgrain
production, 1950/51-2010/11

Source: Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India, Government of
India, Ministry of Home Affairs, 2011
 Phases of river basin development
Over-abstraction of
Renewable water
groundwater
resource
Water resource volume

Potentially
available water
resource
Available
water
resource
Water resource
depleted or used

TIME

Phase Development Utilisation Allocation Restoration

Level of Limited Full control

control control
Source: Modified from Molden et al, 2001
 Changing options for decision making
Management decisions at
different phases of
development

Construct Legislate Enforce Manage demand Empower

Threats and opportunities:

}
•Reducing reserve for development
•Increased risk from droughts
•Climate change
•Management options constrained

•Involvement of stakeholders
•Need for information dissemination
Areas for action:
•Institutional reform in the water sector
•Engagement with stakeholders
•Re-education of water professionals
•Education of politicians and planners
•Knowledge management and dissemination
•Improved efficiency and productivity of water
•Demand management, reduction in water use
•Water trading

Time
 Performance gap in irrigated agriculture

Performance measures:
• Crop area
Achievable performance • Crop yield
level • Crop quality
• Total crop production
• Income from agricultural enterprises
Performance

Possible causes of the performance gap:

Performance
Gap •Poor maintenance
•Unreliable, inadequate and untimely irrigation
supplies w.r.t. crop water demands
•Inadequate agricultural extension
•Poor seeds
•Low input levels
•Etc.

Current performance

Time
 Irrigation development 1960-2007

Trends of public expenditure in major and medium irrigation

and net irrigated area under different sources in India
60 42

50 36
(billion US$, in 2000 prices)

30

Net irrigated area

40

(million ha)
Expenditure

24
30
18
20
12

10
6

0 0
1960 1970 1980 1990 2000
Expenditure Tanks Canals Groundwater

Source: Shah, 2009

 Part I -
Water resources management
reform
 Current issues in WRM

• Historically water resources development has been

carried out by the Irrigation Department
• Irrigation has dominated the WR development agenda
• ID not equipped for WRM - wrong focus, few WRM
staff, etc.
• No holistic view - Different agencies have different
responsibilities for elements of WRM
• Industrial and domestic demands increasing but
allocations controlled by another user – the ID
• How to “cut the cake” – river basin or State?
• Little, if any, regard for the environment
 Action Plan
• Form State Water Council
• Separate the Irrigation Department into three branches:
– Water Resources Branch (WRB)
– Irrigation Services Branch (ISB)
– Irrigation Development Branch (IDB)
• Recruit and train WRB personnel
• Form River Basin Councils and prepare river basin plans
• Prepare the State Water Resources Management Plan (SWRMP)
• Prepare, consult and enact the draft Water Resources Act
• Form the Water Resources Department
• Implement river basin plans
• Implement State WRMP and river basin plans
• Strengthen water resources management in universities and
training establishments
Possible organizational structure for WRM

State Government
SWC members
Committees and Agricultural
Expert Panels
Department
Expert Panel on
Irrigation
Climate Change State Water Council
Department
Environment (SWC) Industry
Dam Safety
Revenue
Committee State Water Administration
Rural Development
(SWA)
Representation by
regional bodies of Municipal
State and other Administration
organisations
Energy Department

Groundwater
Basin Water Basin Water Department
Administration Councils
(BWC) Environment
(BWA)

NGOs Water Users

NGOs
NGOs Water Users
Water Users
Water Users
Water Irrigation Local State Water Users
Water Users
resources and drainage Administration
systems systems Bodies
 State Water Resources Administration
functions
Land Use Cadastre

Water Use and Wastewater Discharge Water Use Register

Wastewater Licences; State Water Resources Register
Water Supply Contracts Information Monitoring System
Systems
State Flood and Registers
Drought Information State Water Cadastre
and Warning System
Hydraulic Infrastructure Register:
State Water Resources
•Dams/Reservoirs
Management Strategy
•Irrigation systems
•Drainage systems
•Water supply
Plans •Flood protection
Water Resources Protection Basin Plans
Basin Plans
measures for: Basin Plans
• Human health and safety
River Basin Plans
• Livestock watering Extraction discharge
• Groundwater Authorization/Licence:
• Surface water
Protection •Surface Wastewater Discharge
• Aquatic environment •Groundwater Authorization/ Licence
measures

Protection from: Permissions/

• Droughts Authorisation
• Flooding
Annual Water Supply Gravel extraction
• Pollution
Agreements Authorization/Licence
• Erosion
• Low flows
• Over-abstraction
 Possible SWA structure
Head of State Water
Administration

Deputy Head Legal Deputy Head Finance and Human

Accounts Unit Resources
(SWC Secretariat) Unit (Water Resources Unit
Management)

Office of the
SWC
Secretariat

Water Water Water Water Information

Resources Resources Permissions Resources Systems Unit
Planning Unit Management Unit Regulation Unit
Unit

Basin Water Administration

(Water Resources Management)
•Water Resources Planning
•Water Resources Management
•Water Permissions
•Water Resources Regulation
Madhya Pradesh (sub-) river basins
Sindh Sub-Basin

Tons Sub-Basin
 Part II -
Main system management -
Reform of the Irrigation
Department
 Irrigation and Drainage systems management, operation and maintenance
Problem tree – Part I (System focussed)

Part II
Water
Finance
Resources

Water charge Inadequate Low Outdated fee Allocated Pressure on No water Excessive Inadequate
not related to Political
funds for levels of collection MOM funds land and rights – No development management,
service system MOM fee systems -over- do not match interference in control and
water guaranteed of
provided collection staffed, identified water resources regulation of
resources water supply groundwater
inefficient, needs and irrigation WR use and
costly development

Maintenance Operation
(Main System) (Main System)

Silt entry Lack of Large Oudated repair Little modern The ID can no longer
Protective irrigation ID has little
into canal adequate maintenance and maintenance technology used enforce the cropping
cannot work if the concept of
systems. maintenance requirement in (R&M) norms in MOM of I&D pattern as it has done
management system is service
many systems systems at in the past
not there to enforce it. delivery ethos.
Divisional level.

Service
On-Farm
Delivery

ID not adapting to Lack of, or one-sided, Poor levels of System not Small plot Cropping pattern
changed dynamics – service provision service to designed for Inadequate
sizes , plot restricted due to pattern
from top-down to contracts water users full cropping liaison between
location of main system water
bottom-up customer ID and farmers
supply
focus

Low crop yields, various causes:

•Poor crop husbandry Development and use of groundwater:
•Irregular/uncertain water supply • Lack of conjunctive use with surface
•Lack of inputs (seed, fertiliser, water
pesticide, etc.) •GW levels falling
•Low level of technology at farm/field •Unreliable power supply for pumping
level
 Irrigation and Drainage systems management, operation and maintenance
- Problem Tree : Part II (ID focussed)

Management
Management
Management Processes/
Policy
Procedures

Too much Top down Blind spots on Rapid ID staff positions Inadequate and Inadequate
Lack of Little clear vision
focus on attitude to points and form of turnover of open to political outdated working
expectations for coming from
construction – farmers interventions to staff in ID in interference office/support relations
performance. Lack within the ID for
drives staffing improve key positions facilities with water
of standards and modernisation
with civil performance. (computers,etc) users
measurement of
engineers
performance.

Education
HRM
and Training

Little innovation or innovative Poorly performing Few universities Few specialist

thinking in the ID WALMIs focussing on courses for education
irrigation as a of irrigation
specialist discipline engineers.

Inadequate , outdated HR Failure to implement

management in the ID. the original WALMI
Relatively poor performance of concept
the human resources

No cadre for non-civil Inadequate Low or no

Time-based , Lack of funds
engineers in key training of ID expectations for Poor human resource
rather than merit- for WALMIs
professional positions in professional training and for management of
based promotion
the ID. Out of step with staff. WALMIs WALMIs. Outdated
system in the ID
modern needs policies and procedures

Continued
from Part I
 Issues
• Service Delivery
– Top-down
• Operation (Main system)
– Supply-orientated, relatively operation rules, limited measurement
• Maintenance (Main system)
– Outdated R&M norms and procedures
– Inadequate funds
• Finance
– Water charges a tax, not a service fee. Not linked to needs.
– Low recovery rates
– Outdated fee assessment and recovery procedures
• Human resources management, education and training
– Outdated HR management processes and procedures – esp. for WALMIs
• Management policy, processes and procedures
– Focused on construction rather than water management
– Employs mainly civil engineers
– Lack of focus on individual system performance
– Outdated systems, processes and procedures
 Action Plan – ID Reform
• Change from construction to management focus
• Restructure the whole organisation, separate construction and
management, operation and maintenance (MOM)
• Employ new multi-disciplinary staff, not just civil engineers
• Radically change the human resources management
• Change staff attitudes – service delivery, farmers as clients, etc.
• Promote able and motivated younger staff to senior positions
• Modernize management systems (RS,GIS, MIS, etc.)
• Use asset management planning
• Focus on service delivery and partnership with water users
• Introduce performance-based management systems
• Support water users associations and farmer participation
• Free up cropping patterns to match farmer demands
• Modernise system management – conjunctive use, etc.
• Consider public-private partnership for system management
 Service delivery relationships

Payment

Service
Agreement
S
Service Provider C
Water User

Service

S - Specification
C - Conditions

Source: Huppert and Urban, 1992

 Current payment and service delivery
Service
arrangements
Provider
(Head Office) WA
Transfer

Budget
request
Revenue
WA Department

Individual Notification of
assessment WA
payment
required
Budget Payment
Service
Provider WA Water User
(District ID)

Service
WA – Water Act
 Use of remote sensing for scheme
performance assessment
Relative water supply (supply/demand)

Crop water deficit (mm/month)

Performance assessment of Nizamsagar
Command Area, AP
 Depth delivered (m)
M
ur
ra
y
G- Irr
M ig
W at

0.000
0.200
0.400
0.600
0.800
1.000
1.200
1.400
1.600
1.800
W ion
oo
ri
ne
n
Et
on
Lo
Bu g a
nd n
G- ab
M er
W g
D
Py aw
ra so
m n
id
-B
oo
G- W rt
M in
n
W al
S ea
G- hep h
M pa
G- W rt
M Ro on
W ch
T es
or te
ru r
m
Water delivered per unit area

ba
Co rr
nd y
am
G- in
M
W e
N
ya
Ce S h
nt u nr
ra ay
lI si
rr a
ig
.(
S
O A
rd )
Ri
ve
r
Benchmarking system performance –
Australia
 Performance management
- Saving lost production
Productivity

Period of lost Growth over time if

production system is adequately
maintained

Lost production due to

deterioration of the system

1 Growth
following
Rehabilitation
rehabilitation
project
2 1 – Early rehabilitation
Period of 2 – Late rehabilitation
Growth stability, growth Period of
Rainfed following and adequate decline, Return
construction of levels of followed by to
new scheme maintenance rehabilitation rainfed

Time
 Management effort required for different
irrigation practices
Management effort

Additional effort
required to move Modern management:
from one level to
the next •Agree cropping pattern with water
users at start of season based on
available water supply
•Schedule to match demands
•Measure and monitor allocations
•Assess performance

Supply orientated management:

•Fix cropping at design stage
•Enforce designed cropping pattern
•Control by level, maintain FSL in
Simple flood irrigation: main canals

•Construct channels
•Flood land

Time
 Part III –
Reform at the on-farm level
 On-farm issues
– Large number of small landholdings
– Inadequately organised water distribution
– Low crop yields
– Low water use productivity
– Little or no planning for conjunctive use of surface and groundwater
– Insufficient uptake of modern technologies
 WUA issues
– Leadership – Presidential rather than Chairman. No role for
Management Committee
– Role of Competent Authority (e.g. ID Engineer as Secretary)
– Limited guidance, support and training provided by government
– Governance structure - need to separate governance and
management
– Not able to set and collect own service fees.
– No WUA staff – who manages the water distribution?
– Elections for all WUA Management Committee every 5 years
– Size of WUAs an issue : 200-300ha too small, viable size1,200-
1,500 ha.
– “Flowback” system excessively bureaucratic, ID retains full control
of funds
– ID control maintenance work process
– No offices, equipment or transport.
– No water rights or water entitlement
 On-farm Action Plan
Action Plan:
– Restructure current CAD&WM programme
– Review, discuss and redraft PIM Act
– Prepare draft Charter for issuing to WUAs
– Establish WUA Regulatory Authority
– Strengthen WALMIs – build capacity in IMT and water management
– Establish and train WUA Support Units at Circle/Divisional level
– Form and train WUA support team at Sub-Divisional level
– Awareness raising and training within ID
 On-farm Action Plan
Action Plan (cont.):
– Research and develop water management approaches for different
types and sizes of irrigation scheme, incorporating conjunctive use
of surface and ground water. Prepare training material.
– Run awareness raising and re-engagement workshops for WUAs
– Individual WUAs discuss and agree their Charter. Change WUA
management processes to match. Incorporate rules for water
allocation and management during water short years.
– Establish chak-based representative system. Train representatives.
– Establish revised budgeting, fee setting and collection procedures
based on asset management planning.
– Plan, design and implement on-farm works (measuring structures,
field channels, lining,, etc.).
– Develop procedures to measure performance and progress.
 On-farm Action Plan
Dharoi Irrigation Scheme, Gujarat
 On-farm Action Plan

Odisha Community Tank

Management Project

Water harvesting in tank command area,

Kharif season
Paddy field water level profile
Kharif season, July-October, 2006
Tank Management Game 180 120

160
100
140
Water level/depth (mm)

120 80

Rainfall (mm)
100
60
80

60 40

40
20
20

0 0
1 4 7 10 13 16 19 22 25 28 31 3 6 9 12 15 18 21 24 27 30 2 5 8 11 14 17 20 23 26 29 2 5 8 11 14 17 20 23 26 29
July August September October

Irrigation Rainfall Crop water demand Water balance Spill

 Conclusions

• Water scarcity is already, or is becoming, a key issue

in many states in India
• Better understanding required of water management,
from the river basin down to the field level
• New approaches are required to address this growing
water crisis, including reforms at the on-farm, main
system, river basin and policy level
• New approaches require technical innovations and
institutional change and support.
• Change is required, “business as usual” is not an
option.
Thank you
 References
Bos, M.G, M.A. Burton and D. Molden. 2005. Irrigation and Drainage Performance Assessment:
Practical Guidelines. CABI Publishing, Wallingford, UK.
Burton, Martin. Irrigation management: Principles and practices. CABI Publishing, Wallingford,
UK.
Burton, Martin, Laurence Smith and Julienne Roux. 2007. Toolkit for monitoring and evaluation
of agricultural water management projects. Agricultural and Rural Development Division (ARD),
World Bank, Washington (forthcoming).
IWMI. 2007. Water for food, water for life. A comprehensive assessment of water management
in agriculture. Earthscan, London and International Water Management Institute, Colombo.
Martin A. Burton, Rahul Sen, Simon Gordon-Walker, Anand Jalakam, and Arunabha Ghosh
(2011) National Water Resources Framework Study: Research Report Submitted to the Planning
Commission for the 12th Five Year Plan, September, New Delhi: Council on Energy,
Environment and Water and 2030 Water Resources Group, pp. i-584.http://ceew.in/pdf/CEEW-
WRG12Sep11.pdf
Martin A. Burton, Rahul Sen, Simon Gordon-Walker, and Arunabha Ghosh (2011) National
Water Resources Framework Study: Roadmaps for Reforms, October, New Delhi: Council on
Energy, Environment and Water and 2030 Water Resources Group, pp. i-
68. http://ceew.in/pdf/CEEW-WRG10Oct11.pdf
 References
World Bank. 1998. India – Water resources management sector review: Report on the irrigation
sector. Report No. 18416 IN, World Bank, Washington D.C.
World Bank. 2005. India’s water economy: Bracing for a turbulent future. Report No. 34750-IN,
World Bank, Washington D.C.
WRG. 2009. Charting our water future: Economic frameworks to inform decision-making. 2030
Water Resources Group, International Finance Corporation, Washington D.C. Available at
www.mckinsey.com/water